Electrical control system for vehicle fare boxes



Sept 6, 1938- J. w. BAUR ET A1. 2,128,900

ELECTRICAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE FARE BOXES Filed Jan. 23, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 6, 1938. J. w. BAUR ET A1. 2,128,900

ELECTRICAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE FARE BOXES Filed Jan, 23, 193s 5 Sheets-sheet Jovz Wazv. Wen/ry Van 2am/cn.

Sept. 6, J. W BAUR ET AL 2,128,900

ELECTRICAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE FARE BOXES Filed Jan. 25, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Z8 ni-- I t Y. .Y Lg 1H ll 2g I) a 36 .mth

Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR VE- HICLE FARE BOXES New York Application January 23, 1936, Serial No. 60,368

1 Claim.

This invention relates to fare box and register structure and particularly to the type of structure disclosed, for example, in Johnson Patent No. 1,344,898, dated June 29, 1920. Such fare and register structure usually comprises an inspection chamber which receives the deposited tokens and from which inspection chamber the tokens are dumped, by the manual operation of a dumping lever, into a lower chamber for reception by evaluation mechanism which sorts out the tokens as to denominational value and elects counting of the tokens and recording of their cash values in suitable register devices, the evaluation mechanism being power driven by a'suitable motor.

An important object of the invention is toprovide improved control for the driving motor operation in order that the motor may run only when the dumping lever has been actuated to dump deposited tokens to the evaluating mechanism, and then only for a time sufficient to operate the evaluating mechanism for proper recording of these deposits, whereby the motor current consumption will be held down to a minimum particularly where the driving source is from storage batteries.

A further important object is to provide a starting circuit and a main or operating circuit for the motor, with the starting circuit closed for a comparatively short period of time while the dumping lever is operated to dump deposited tokens, and the main circuit automatically controlled by the motor itself in such manner that the main circuit will be opened after operation of the motor for a predetermined period of time or a predetermined number of revolutions of the motor.

Still another object of the invention is to enclose the driving motor and the circuit controlling parts operated thereby in a base structure which can be readily applied to fare box structures not already equipped with motor drive, and in such structures it will be a simple matter to install a switch for operation by the dumping lever.

The above referred to and other features of our invention are shown incorporated in the structure on the drawings, in which drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a completely assembled device embodying the principles of our invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section of part of the device to show the dumping mechanism and the evaluating mechanism;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation partly broken away to show the connection between the driving motor and the driving shaft for the evaluating mechanism and also to show the switch associated with the dumping lever;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the base structure in which the motor and its circuit controlling switch mechanism is arranged;

Figure 5 is an underside view of the base; and

Figure 6 diagrammatically shows the electrical circuit connections.

To disclose the operation and advantages of the invention it is shown applied to a fare box such as is disclosed in Patent No. 1,344,898 hereinbefore referred to, Figs. l and 2 showing such type of fare box. As the construction and operation of the dumping mechanism and the coin sorting and counting mechanism will not be changed in the least by the application of the invention it will be unnecessary to show in full detail all of these various mechanisms and therefore on Figs. l and 2 only suilicient structure is shown for making the application and operation of the invention clear.

The fare box structure shown comprises the collection box I which receives the deposited coins and from which the coins drop into the inspection compartment 2 from which they are dumped for reception by the sorting or evaluating mechanism and operation for entry into the register, the evaluating and register mechanism being within the housing part 3.

Referring to Fig. 2 the dumping plates 4 at the bottom of the inspection compartment have the slotted links 5 secured to the ends of their pivot shafts and engaged by a floating pin 6 engaged by the slotted crank arm 'I extending from the dumping shaft 8 at the outer end of which is secured the dumping handle 9 (Fig. 1). The dumped coins pass through the chute I into the hopper II which spans the stationary plate I2 and the sorting disk I3 rotatable on the plate. The sorting disk is secured to a shaft I4 journalled in the plate I2 and terminating in a worm wheel I engaged by a worm I6 on the shaft I'I, which shaft is to be turned for operation of the sorting or evaluating mechanism and the register.

rIhe coins sorted by the disk I3 engage with the cam lever I8 for rotation of the shaft I9 and swing of the lever 20, the swing of the lever being in accordance with the size of the coin or token for setting of the register mechanism 2I for the corresponding cash value entry, the operation being all as fully disclosed in Patent No. 1,344,898 referred to.

The turning of the set register mechanism is CII controlled by the rotation of the gear 22 on the shaft l1 which gear meshes with the gear 23 forming part of the turning train for the register mechanism, all as fully disclosed in Patent No. 1,344,898 referred to. After a` registering operation the coins drop into a reservoir or cup 24 from which they may be readily withdrawn by inward swing of the door 25.

For the purpose of our invention we provide a base housing 26 below the fare box housing part 3 and preferably this base is adapted to be readily attached to or detached from the fare box structure. Referring particularly to Figs. 3, 4, and 5 the base at its top has apertured seating lugs 21 through which screws may be extended for securing the base to the bottom of the fare box structure, Extending through the base at the front part thereof, and parallel with the shaft l1 is a countershaft 28 which at one end carries a pulley 29. The pulley is shown outside of the base and engages a belt 3i) which passes around a sheave 3| secured to the shaft I1. Within the base is mounted an electric motor 32 which may be suspended from the top wall of the base in any suitable manner, the motor shaft 33 extending a distance below and at right angles to the countershaft 28. The connection between the shaft may be by way of a worm 34 on the motor shaft and a worm wheel 35 on the countershaft or any other suitable driving connection may be employed.

The rotation of the countershaft by the motor will be transmitted by the belt 3D to the driving shaft I1 for the evaluating and registering moehanism of the fare box.

Depending from the top wall of the base 25 is a boss 36 which at its front end carries a vertical shaft 31 which supports a worm wheel 33 for engagement by a worm 39 on the countershaft 28. Secured to the underside of the worm wheel con centric therewith is a metallic contact drum 48 whose contact circumference is interrupted at regular intervals by insulator segments 4|, three such segments being shown. The contact drum is engaged by a contact brush 42 extending from a holder 43 on the boss 35 rearwardly of the contact drum, the holder being of insulating material or otherwise-arranged for insulation of the contact brush from the boss. With the arrangement described it is evident that, when the motor is operating, the contact drum will be turned for alternate electrical engagement with the brush or insulation therefrom by the segments.

Referring to Fig. 3 the shaft 8 which carries the dumping lever 9 has mounted thereon a contact disk or cam 44 which may be located within and adjacent to the side wall of the housing part 3 through which the shaft extends. Against the inside of said wall is secured a block 45 of insulating material in which a metal cup 45 is inserted for a contact plunger 41 urged outwardly by a spring 48, the outward movement being limited by the engagement of' the cup edge by the shoulder' 49 on the plunger. The Contact member 44 on the shalt 8 may be in the forni of a cylindrical disk slabbcd off on one side to leave a clearing or depression 58 into which the contact plunger 49 normally extends out of contact with the disk but contacted by the cylindrical part of the disk when the shaft 8 is turned by downward swing of the dumping lever 9.

Fig. 5 shows the circuit connection between the motor and switches. A source of current 5|, such as a storage battery, has one terminal grounded to the frame of the fare box structure and its other terminal connected by conductor 52 with one terminal of the motor whose other terminal is connected by conductor 53 with the contact brush 42, the contact drum 4D having electrical connection with the fare box framework and being therefore grounded. A conductor 54 connects the contact plunger 41 with the contact brush 42, the contact disk 44 being grounded to the fare box framework. The cir cuit including the current source, the motor, the conductor 54, and the switch mechanisms 44 and 41 constitutes a starting circuit for the motor, while the circuit including the current source, the motor, and the switch parts 42 and 48 constitutes the main or operating circuit for the motor, the contact plunger 41 being normally disconnected from the contact disk 44 and the contact brush 42 being normally in engagement with one of the insulator segments 4| of the contact drum 4D, so that normally both circuits are open.

Describing now the operation, when coins or tokens are deposited in the fare box, the collector, after inspection of the tokens in the inspection compartment 2, swings down the dumping lever 9 against the force of the spring 55 tending to hold the lever in its upper position. Upon such movement of the lever the coins or tokens are dumped into the evaluating mechanism and at the same time the rotation of the contact disk 44 brings its cylindrical surface into contact enga-gement with the contact plunger 41 for closure of the starting circuit through the motor and the motor is started. The downward and return movement of the dumping lever will keep the starting circuit closed for a sufficient length of time for turning of the contact drum 40 by the motor to move the insulating sector away from the contact brush and to bring the contact drum into electrical engagement with the brush so that the main or operating circuit for the motor will be closed for continued operation of the motor until the next insulating segment is brought under the contact brush for opening of the motor main circuit. The ratio of the gearing between the motor and the countershaft 28, and the ratio of the gearing between the countershaft and the worm gear 38, and the number of insulator segments in the contact drum, can be readily calculated for the desired length of time of operation by the motor after starting thereof by operation of the dumping lever, the time length being usually made such that, under ordinary service of the fare box, each period of operation of the motor will have resulted in sorting and registering of the dumped coins or tokens. Should any coins or tokens be left unregistered after one period of operation of the motor, they will be taken care of during the next period of operation.

A protecting cover 56 may be detachably secured against the side of the structure to enclose the pulleys 29 and 3| and the driving belt 30.

We thus provide a very simple arrangement for fare box structures in which the conductor or collector need only actuate the dumping lever for dumping of deposited coins or tokens, the evaluating and counting mechanisms being then automatically taken care of by the motor.

Our invention may be readily applied to fare boxes which have not been motorized. The base structure with the motor and switch mechanism therein can be readily applied to such structure and a sheave substituted on the evaluator and counting mechanism drive shaft for the manually operable handle, and the switch mechanism for the motor starting circuit can be readily applied for operation by the dumping lever.

We have shown a practical and efficient embodiment of the Various features of our invention but We do not desire to be limited to the exact construction, arrangement, and operation shown and described as changes and modifications may be made Without departing from the scope of the invention.

We claim as follows:

An electrical control system for motor driven passenger vehicle fare boxes in which deposited coins or tokens are to be evaluated and counted, comprising a driving motor, a starting switch arranged to be opened and closed by the operation of the fare box dumping lever, a source of current, a starting circuit adapted when closed by said starting switch to include said source and the driving motor for starting of the motor, a Contact drum having insulating segments and adapted to be driven by said motor after starting thereof, a contact normally in engagement With one of said insulating segments, and an operating circuit including said source and said motor and said contact and completed by said drum when said drum after starting of the motor comes into engagement with said contact and to be reopened by engagement of said contact with the next segment.

JOHN W. BAUR.

HENRY VAN ZUILEN.

CLARENCE F. ROGIER. 

